Apparatus for amalgamating metals



Feb. 24, 1931. E. w. MYERS 1,794,090

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS Filed Jan. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1 a4 l o 0 l9 I 1" If! 22 a i 15 z \& 4 ,4, 2 a-mky I V l l I 7 l 1 l I l I 1 l I gwuwtw Feb. 24, 1931. E. w. MYERS APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1926 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 rarest orrics EDGAR W. MYERS, LOS AlQ'GELES, CALIFORNIA APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS Application filed January 15, 1926. Serial No. 81,547.

My invention relates to the extraction of precious-metals from ores by amalgamation, my object, generally stated, being to obtain a larger percentage of the metals and to save time and cost in the treatment, and thus do the work economically.

Briefly described, by my invention the 1retail-containing ores, in finely ground condition, are subdivided into a number of streams and are fed continuously and the several streams are subjected to a steam scouring process which cleans and separates and tends to classify the ore as it passes through the apparatus, preparatory to delivery to screening means for separating the finer parts for delivery to a mercury pot, the matter not entering the latter being passed over 'creens and disposed of. The result is that the ore is most advantageously handled for thorough and rapidtreatment for the recovery of the precious metals therein.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included in the terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. side elevation partly in vertical section of an apparatus embodying my in vention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 -3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; N Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-43 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 1. Referring in detail to the drawings, at the top of the apparatus is a receiving hopper, 10, into which the ground ore is discharged l and from which it descends into a chute, 11, by which it is fed to a cylindrical chamber, 12, in the lower part of which are paddles,

or wings, 14, carried by a vertical shaft, 13, which is revolved to rotate the paddles, 14.

The shaft, 18, has at its upper end, a turbineform drive wheel, 16, adapted to be driven by a steam jet that by a supply pipe, 17, enters the wheel casing, 18, formed in the 5 upper-part of said chamber, 12. Said shaft,

"in the process.

18, may be provided, if desired, at its end with a balance wheel, 19.

By the paddles, the ore is stirred and pushed outward into a plurality of outwardly and downwardly inclined passages, 15, by which the body of'ore is subdivided into a number of small streams, and thereby fitted for the highly efficient steam and other treatment that follows.

Encirclingthesaid passageways or conduits, 15, is an annularsteam box, 20, that receives steam froma pipe, 21, and from this annular steam box are vertical branches, 22, of inverted L-form, each with a vertical passage, 23, and a horizontal passage, 24:. From the latter a steam jet or nozzle, 26, discharges steam downward into'the top of each of the conduits, 15, clearly indicated at the left of Fig. l. A screw plug, 27, closes a hole that gives access to the nozzle, 26, and a screw 79 plug, 28, closes a hole that gives access to passage, 23. 'Ifit is desired to close communication between passages 23 and 24, for any purpose, as for example, to cut a branch out of action, the plug, 28, being first removed, a plug can be screwed into the threaded hole, 25, provided in a partition between the two passages, 23 and 24'.

It will be seen that the ore moves down into the cylindrical chamber, 12, where it is so stirred and pushed out into the conduits, 15, in several smal streams, and thus subdivided, eachstream is acted on by a strong jet of steam that blows it downward and breaks it up and scours it. j

Each conduit, 15, is prolonged downward by an extension, 15a, that at its lower end rests on and is secured to a casting, 30, that contains an annular chamber, 31, that by a central, circular partitiomSOa, and the radial partitions,30b,"(see Fig. 5), is subdivided into as many compartments as there are conduits, 15, and into which the latter respectively discharge, and each being of greater volume than the outlet extension, 15a, the steam expands and with it the ore particles enveloped thereby, and thus, such particles are loosened up and separated from'one another, andthus preparedfor the next step The casting, 30, rests upon a ring, 35, supported upon the upper end of a downwardly enlarging, tapering shell, 36, havlng at one side near the bottom an outlet, 31, from whlch leads a short spout, The ring, 35, has

, and the outer rim of the pot, extends a conical screen, 44, that has an open center 4460 in register with the space, surrounded by the wall, 43. The bottom of the annular channel, 4 as shown in Fig. 1, inclines downwardly from one side to the opposite side, and at its lowest point has an outlet opening, 40a, so that any overflow from the merceury pot, or the solemn-44, or anydischarge thereinto from above, will flow to and out through the opening, 40a. Matter passing through the screen, 44, will remain in the mercury pot, 42, which can be lifted out bodily, after lifting the upper-part of the-machine from the annular ring, 35, for which purpose a vertical bolt, 33, is attached to the center of the casting top, 300, that above the fly wheel, 19, has a hook, 34 for attaching a derrick or other lifting means.

- discharge opening, 50, of matter too large,

the matter passing over the screen including what flows from the trough, 46, and which passes through the central'opening in the screen and that enclosed by the wall, 43, in the mercury pot. Thus, only material of the desired fineness will through the screen, 48, and be discharged through the trough outlet, 50, the larger pieces or particles being discharged tromthe bottom of the trough, 45. Near the lower end of the screen, 48, there is a transnerse catch-forming depression or channel, 49. i

The discharge from the trough outlet, 50, falls into a chamber that is enclosed byv a substantial cylindrical base, 51, upon the we o whi h s oun e he casting, .36, the top of the base being open, and Such base a ing a bottom, 4, which in lines om the side near the discharge and ot-th ztne g 45, to the oppositeside of the lease, .51}?inst ever may be desired.

treapeo above the lowest portion of said bottom, 54, an outlet pipe, 57, leads, which by oppositely extending branches, 58, passes concentrates from the base, 51, into two vertical tanks, 59 and 60, from which the concentrates may be delivered to a concentrating table. Each tank has an outlet, at its bottom for the removal of its contents. \Vithin the tanks there may be either super-atmospheric pressure or sub-atmospheric pressure, which- Super-atmospheric pressure may be secured by the steam and heat within the tanks, all outlets being closed in an air-tight manner, including openings at the topwhich are closed by screw plugs, 62. If, a partial vacuum is desired, that may be secured by connecting an air pump with apipe, 61, that communicates with the interior of the tank.

Atthe top of the base, 51, there are numerous holes, 53, opening through the side walls for the discharge of water in the base when it reaches the level of those holes, and te pas ng thro gh S ch ho s is 'c iw by a downwardly inclined trough or channel, 55, which has at its lowest point a discharge outlet, 56. The top of the base, 51, opposite the holes, 53, is encircled by a ring, 52,'having a vertical partition which is opposite the holes against which water flowing through the holes will strike and; be directed into the trough, 55, and a horizontal portion is situated between the bottom of the casting, 36, and the top otthe base, 51. Just above the lowest point of the inclined bottom, 54, is a hole, closed by a plug, 64, for-the discharge or removal of sediment or settlings and any mercury that may settle in the chamber within the base, 51. 7

To relieve or cushion pressure created or existingwithiu the casting, 31, there are several pipes, 65, which extend upward from the topthereot, and which conveniently may hare. an L- shap e, and opening through the casting, 31, into the chamber within the same are several nipples, 32, closed by removable caps.

I have referred to the use of steam for revolving the turbine, 16, Of course, water maybe used for. that purpose. Thesteani or otlienfiuid so used is exhausted through ,out-

let openings, whicli discharge into the feedchutefll, and serves to disin'tegrat-e or bi'e ak'hp'the ore passing through the chute, and bypre ssure tlier'eoii supplements gravity to 'force theoi'e through the chute and intothe cha1nber,'12.

Describing in its entirety the process or operatibn in connection with the embodiment of m y inventi on illustrated in the drawings, the pulp or ground ore, passing trom the hopperfilll, into the chute, '11, is fir'st acted upon by the exhaust steam or ether pressure amen-'1: rota ing the padd es, Myheiug'athe litQQlllQ extent and cleansed eye-sneer...

and then being acten upon by the paddles, 14, which stir up the mass, and vforce it into conduits, 15. which subdivide it into numerous small streams and the streams are next acted upon by the steam issuing from the nozzles, 26, which breaks up the ore and scours u and forces it downward through the conduits, 15. From the lower contracted portions, 15a, oi such conduits, the subdivided streams enter the chambers within the casting, 31, in which an expansion of the steam takes place and the separation of particles or pieces of ore, this action being promoted by the increase of pressure which takes place due to the contraction of the lower portions, 150, of the conduits. The larger portions of the streams or subdivisions then together pass to the screen, 44:, above the mercury pot Q2, and the particles small enough to pass through the stream fall into the mercury pot tor amalgamation. The n'iercury is kept in a heated condition to promote the amalgamating action by hot water or condensed steam in the space surrounding the mercury pot within the casting, 39, and, of course, the steam treatment to which the pulp was previously subjected results in heating thereof. Only portions of the ore which fall into the channel, a0, and which pass through the central opening through the mercury pot and the casting, 39, find their way to the trough, l5, either directly or indirectly from the pocket, d6, passing over the screen, 48, in the trough, 45, the finer particles are delivered to the chamber within the base, 51., which tilled with hot water and the parts too large to pass through the screen, d8, are discharged from the lower end of the trough, 4"). The chamber within the base, 51, is filled with hot water preliminary to starting the machine and water is taken from the base as by means of a pipe, 510, and delivered to the top of the machine and circulated therethrough with the steam, so that there a *ontinuons flow of pulp accompanied with steam and hot water from the top to the bottom of the machine, the result being that the ore is heated, the particles separated and scoured and placed in the best condition for an'ialgamation, which makes for an increase in percentage of recovery of the metals and with a minimum of handling and expenditure of power.

The pressure of the steam acting upon the pulp in the several conduits varies according to the requirements of the pulp being treated and a steam gauge, 76 (see Fig. 1), as shown in the drawings, is applied to each conduit.

It is to be understood, as I have already indicated, that my invention is not restricted to the particular construction of apparatus illustrated in the drawings. For example, the number of passages, 15, by which the sub division'of the pulp or ground ore is pre liminarily affected, may be greaterth'an is shown in the drawings, 'and'other changes may be made without departure from my invent om t being my intention not to restrict 'myseltbeyond the requirements of the legal,

meaning of theiollowing claims. I lVhat I claim is 2:

I 1. Amalgamating apparatus comprising an initial pulp receiving chamber, a plurality'of pulp passages leading from such chamber,-

they communicatewith said container, a:

water chamber below such mercui'ycontainer, means preventing passage of part of the ore into the mercury container, and means for de livering to such chamber portions of the ore which donot enter the mercury container.

2. Amalgamating Y apparatus comprising an initial pulp receiving chamber, a plurality of pulp passages leading from such chamber, means for subjecting pulp while in such passages to a heated fluid, and a mercury container to which all suchpassages lead, said passages being separate up to the point where they communicate with said container, a water chamber below such mercury container and means for delivering to such chamber portions of the ore, said means comprising screening means which remove port-ions of the ore not desirable to deliver to said'chamber. I 7

3. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a mercury pot having a through central opening walled oil from the mercury containing portion of the pot, a plurality of separate chambers immediately above said pot and outside said opening means for delivering separated streams of pulp and steam to such chambers, and a screen over such pot having av central openingregistering with the mercury pot opening and sides inclined toward said opening to convey unscreened particles to the opening registering with the mercury pot opening. 1 v

4-. Amalgamating apparatus comprising'a mercury pot having a screen at the top, a support for said pot having an annular channel around the rim thereof, not covered by the screen and with an inclined bottom, said bottom at a low point having an outlet and a, settling pocket receiving material from said outlet.

5. Amalgamating apparatus comprising-a mercury pot having a screen at the top, a support for said pot with a central opening through the screen and pot having an annu lar channel around the rim thereof, not covered by the screen and with an inclined bottom, said bottom at a low point having an outlet and a settling pocket receiving material from said outlet, and a downwardly inclined trough leading from said settling lit) ockehacress and eneath the said central opening and having a screened outlet intermediate its ends.

6. Amalgamating apparatus comprising 5 an inlet feed chute, a chamber to which said chute delivers pulp, rotary pulp engaging members in such chamber, a fluid actuatedimpeller for rotating said members, and means for passing the exhaust from the impeller into said chute in advance of communication between the chute and said chamber.

'7. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a pulp receiving chamber, a plurality of passages communicating with said chamber, re-

.volving means in said chamber for stirring said pulp and forcing it out into said passages, a steam discharge nozzle in each passage for forcing steam into said pulp to heat, scour and break it up, a mercury pot, means for heating the same, a screen over said mercury pot for screening metal-containing pulp, means for-catching the coarser matter from said screen, an over-flow trough having an opening under said screen, a base having a receiving chamber-for said screened matter, with an inclined bottom to receive and set le the heavier matter falling into the base, and means for collecting concentrates connected with said base member.

8. Amalgamating apparatus comprising a mercury container, means for preparing the pulp situated directly above such container, means for passing the prepared pulp downward from the preparing means to the container, a shell surrounding the mercury container in the upper part of which the mercury container is located, a base upon which said shell rests, said base having a water-receiving chamber, a trough situated within said shell and extending to a point outside the same and having an outlet into the top of said waterreceiving chamber, said trough being situated to receive discharge fromthe mercury container and matter diverted therefrom, and a tank adjacent said base chamber and in communication with such chamber.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alt-fix my signature.

EDGAR W. MYERS. 

